I am a former journalist and a current public relations professional at W2O Group who has been writing about the topic of fatherhood for more than 10 years. I was a regular contributor to the Washington Post's "On Balance" and "On Balance" blogs for nearly 5 years, providing perspective on parenting issues from a dad's point of view. As a working father of two, I examine workplace issues from the point of view of an involved dad.
You can follow me on Google +.

Male-Only Golf Enclaves: It's Not Just Augusta

The logo for the Masters Tournament made of flowers, in front of the clubhouse of the Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By tradition, the slipping the green jacket onto Bubba Watson at the Masters yesterday marked not only the end of the tournament, but also the end — for a year — of serious discussion of the inescapable discrimination at male-only Augusta National. This year, the rumbling of discontent has focused on Virginia Rometty, the new IBM CEO. Traditionally, the CEO of IBM has been a member of Augusta. But that tradition is nothing compared to the tradition of keeping women out of the club. Rometty did not break the gender barrier this year.

If history is any guide, we’ll have to wait another year before the topic is brought up again in earnest. This is unfortunate, not simply because the Augusta policy is increasingly indefensible, but because what happens at Augusta is not an isolated case. Exclusionary policies are not atypical in the golf world, not just at Augusta or Burning Tree in suburban Washington (the power-broker haven where women continue to be rebuffed), but at smaller outposts throughout the country.

Twice in the last three years, I’ve been approached about joining clubs that have had male-only facilities: areas where men may congregate and women may not enter, even if other areas of the club are integrated. The defenses of these no-ladies-allowed areas has varied, from the legalistic (“it’s a private club, they can do they wish”) to the historical (“it’s tradition here”) to the separate-but-equal (“sometimes, we have women’s-only events”) to the dismissive (“there’s nothing special in there”).

But when I toured the facilities, I had my two daughters with me. And I knew that we if joined, they would regularly walk down a hallway past a door they would never be allowed to open. It would be tempting to call the closed door into the men’s-only lounge a metaphor for the difficulty my daughters may face breaking into an old-boy’s network, except it isn’t a metaphor. The door is real. And the reason they can’t walk in is based purely on their sex.

We declined.

But there is a metaphor in the closed door at the local clubs and in the more famous keep-out signs at famous clubs: where it’s legally permissible, some men are going to try to keep women out, on or away from the links. That has an impact far beyond Augusta — indeed, an impact that reaches into the workplace — and explains why my eldest daughter, after listening to an extended discussion of Augusta’s policies, said she’d consider running away if I ever had the temerity to join such a club. It’s not that she’s horrified at the idea of me playing golf with a bunch of other guys. It’s that she’s already aware that the playing field can be tilted away from women in a thousand subtle ways, and Augusta’s celebration of exclusion is nothing close to subtle.

Pressure on Augusta National has traditionally peaked going into the Masters and all but disappeared thereafter. But it would be nice if the issue were kept alive, not simply in continued public questions about Augusta National, but around those courses that — while they may not be household names — continue to enable a culture where women can be excluded without scrutiny. But this is not about golf. The game, in pop culture, is frequently seen as analogous to business. Refusing to take a hard look at these policies at the country club only makes it more difficult to take them on in the office.

Post Your Comment

Post Your Reply

Forbes writers have the ability to call out member comments they find particularly interesting. Called-out comments are highlighted across the Forbes network. You'll be notified if your comment is called out.

Yeah: I was a bit surprised to find that — even in 2012 — smaller clubs can still stand on tradition and maintain facilities for men that women can’t enter, even if it’s just a small bar-and-grill. The level of acceptance of that sort of thing is really staggering.

As more women enter the workforce, and many become the primary breadwinners, there is a structural shift taking place in organizations and households.

Today, most country clubs cater to the whole family while a few golf clubs maintain that GOLF is still a “Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden” organization.

Industry asks and expects a lot from their male and female executives. And now as women executives combine business and golf as men have for years, these career women will push through changes so no one will be expected to sacrifice gender or family for business success.

Successful corporate women manage the home front as well, if not better, than their careers. How they and their partners decide to tackle chores and responsibilities will be up to them. Our lives and work can both be enjoyable as organizations and families adjust to this new level playing field in business leadership.

I seriously doubt you were approached by two all male clubs Brian. There are only about 20 in the country. So 10% wanted your liberal ass? Doubt it. You keep the discussion alive because your wife and daughters have turned you a little Feminista! Have fun at the Muni and 6 hr rounds.